Park thanks Saenuri party faithful

President-elect Park Geun-hye enters a restaurant in central Seoul to meet with the leadership of her ruling Saenuri Party yesterday. [NEWSIS]

President-elect Park Geun-hye asked her ruling Saenuri Party yesterday to help her win the National Assembly’s approval for her government reorganization plan, her spokeswoman said.

Park made the request during a lunch meeting with party leaders including Chairman Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader Lee Hahn-koo and other senior party officials, according to her spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun.

Park’s government reorganization plan includes the revival of a deputy prime minister for economic affairs and the creation of two new ministries to handle science and technology and the fisheries industries.

By next week, the government is expected to submit a bill on the planned reorganization to the National Assembly for approval.

“[The plan] was drawn up based on my experiences at the Blue House and as a lawmaker,” Park told the meeting, according to Cho. “It was made with an aim to fulfill the promises [we made] to the people during [last year’s] general and presidential elections.”

Park is the eldest daughter of the late authoritarian President Park Chung-hee and acted as the first lady for her father after her mother’s 1974 assassination. She also served as a five-term lawmaker prior to winning December’s presidential election.

She thanked party leaders and officials for their help during her presidential campaign and promised to respect the views of the National Assembly.

“I ask you to think about the public sentiment we studied during the presidential election and throw your weight behind the government reorganization bill so that we may be able to work for the people and for their happiness,” Park said was quoted as saying.

Yonhap